Overwatch Preview

Now that the Overwatch beta is nearing an end, and the official release of Overwatch is in sight, Blizzard Entertainment’s newest FPS is getting a lot of attention both good and bad. One of these being Blizzards recent adjustments to theTracer’s character posefollowing a fan complaint, whilst other Blizzard fans are trying to decide ifOverwatch is worth buying.

Either way, there has been a lot of attention directed towards the Overwatch beta and the upcoming game release so we thought we’d have a look at Blizzards awesome new FPS.

STORY

Overwatch is set 30 years into the future. In this future, the Omnix (robots) have lost their minds, and in retaliation, the humans set up a ‘special’ task force known as Overwatch. Fast forward some years and Overwatch is no longer what it used to be, the group of heroes has fallen apart and you have been enlisted to restore Overwatch to its former glory, as protectors of earth.

GAMEPLAY

Overwatch is a team-based FPS (first person shooter) where you choose a hero to battle the opposing team and reach your objectives. Before the battle begins, you’ll first need to pick which hero to take control of and which role to you’ll take on your team. There will be certain goals for you to attain such as delivering items to certain points or taking objectives from your enemies, and how to achieve them will depend on your team’s strategy. But what makes Overwatch a completely unique experience in the FPS genre are the unique abilities each hero has. Shields, AoE bombs, traps and turrets will keep your Overwatch experience explosive.

HEROES & ROLES

In Overwatch, there are currently 21 heroes for you to choose from. Heroes are divided into four separate roles: Offense, Defense, Tank and Support.

Your choice of hero will determine your role in the team. Keep in mind that you are always allowed to experiment with other heroes. Role assignment exists mainly for guiding players on the heroes’ playstyle.

Heroes that fall into the offensive category, as its name states, deal a great amount of damage to their enemies and have good mobility. Heroes that fall under this role are usually good for harassing enemies, scouting areas and objectives. Offensive heroes usually have abilities that involve movement (e.g. Tracer’s Recall or Pharah’s Jump Jet). The heroes in the offensive category are Genji, Pharah, Tracer, McCree, Reaper and Soldier: 76.

On the defensive side, Overwatch heroes under this role are good for standing by as area guards. They are usually the ones who create team checkpoints, defending areas and stopping enemies from reaching objectives. These defensive heroes have abilities that can immobilize, detect enemies and have offensive abilities that can help guard locations (e.g. Torbjörn’s Turrets and Bastion’s Configuration Sentry). Defensive characters in Overwatch include Mei, Torbjörn, Bastion, Widowmaker and Hanzo.

As for tank heroes, we’ve got D.Va, Zarya, Winston, Reinhardt and Roadhog. These heroes are built with high endurance to damage, allowing them to protect their allies and engage on the enemy lines. Compared to heroes in other roles, tanks have armor and higher health, and usually have abilities that can generate shields and barriers (e.g. Reinhardt’s Barrier Field or Zarya’s Projected Barrier).

Overwatch heroes in the support role specialize in assisting their team through healing, buffing ally abilities and stats, and debuffing the enemy lines. One of the biggest examples of team boosts abilities is Zenyatta’s Orb of Discord, which can reduce the amount of damaged received by his ally, and Lucio’s Crossfade, which can increase allies’ movement speed or regenerate health. Support heroes include: Lucio, Zenyatta, Symmetra and Mercy.

These heroes also have their own unique set of character skins, each one being in different levels of rarity (Common, Rare, Epic and Legendary). Overwatch has over a hundred skins for their heroes at present. In their latest patch, Blizzard released a skin for D.Va, Junkrat, Lucio, McCree, Reaper, Torbjörn, Zarya and Soldier: 76.

MAPS

There are currently 12 maps that you can choose from in Overwatch, one of them recently released. Each map has its own theme and is unique in terms of gameplay and structure. Since every map is designed uniquely, game strategies differ for each of the 12 maps in Overwatch. The newest addition is Route 66 which is based on the historic Route 66 that crosses through the US. There are six known locations for Route 66, and it is described as a very open map by Overwatch beta players.

LATEST UPDATES

Route 66 – New Escort Map which is inspired by the route 66. It will feature the roadside shops, cafes and gas stations that are found in this historical road. But Amid this deserted area are the members of the Deadlock Gang.

Weekly Brawl – Similar to Hearthstone, it will have weekly brawls that feature different gameplays and custom games as an alternative way to enjoy the Overwatch game.

Highlights – New feature added to the main menu which captures your personal game highlights. Players can store up to 5 highlights from an active gaming session.

Play of the game – There are 4 new player categories added: High Score, Lifesaver, Sharpshooter and Shutdown.

Promotions and Portrait Images – Every 100 levels, players will receive promotions that will unlock portrait frames. For portrait images, players will be able to receive new images every 10 levels instead of only certain levels.

Joining and Leaving Games – XP Bonus will be given if you play consecutively. Players who join games that are in progress will not receive a loss record but can get a win. For those who leave a match in progress, they will be given an auto loss record, and if you continuously leave games, you will receive a temporary XP penalty

Groups – Players can join groups. Group leaders will be given the option to stay in the group if they leave a game so that they won’t have to recreate the group over again